Means for use in the discharging of coal and other materials from ships&#39; holds, trucks, or the like



MEANS FOR USE IN THE DISCHARGING OF COAL AND OTHER MATERIALS FROM Sept 18 11.9230

P. J. CAVANAGH smrs' HOLDS, TRUCKS, OR THE LIKE Filed Feb. 14 1920 Patented Sept. HS, 1923.

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PATRICK JOHN CAVANAGH, OF IPJETONE, NEW ZEALAND.

MEANS FOR USE IN THE DISCHARGING OF COAL AND OTHER MATERIALS FROM SHIPS HOLDS, TRUCKS, OR THE LIKE.

Application filed February 14, 1920. Serial No. 35%,652.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that T, PATRICK JOHN CAvA- NAGH, subject of the Kin of- Great Britain, residing at Petone, Welllngton, in the Dominion of New Zealand, have invented a new and useful Improved Means for Use in the Discharging of Coal and Other Materials from Ships Holds, Trucks, or the like; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

This invention relates to means that have been devised specially for use in the discharging of coa from ships holds, or from trucks or other transporting means into other vessels or-carriers. The means employed are, however, equally useful in the handling of other material or goods of a like nature. I

The invention provides for the operation of discharging or transferring the coal being carried out expeditiousl nd without the employment of manual labour in the handling of the coal.

These means are designed for use in combination'with a bucket elevator of any ordinary type, that is adapted to have its lower .end resting on the coal to be lifted and discharged, and its upper end overhanging the vessel or vehicle into which the coal 1s to be delivered. These are generally well known in the art. Such means have for their object the loosening of the coal heap surrounding the elevator bottom and the feeding of the coal, from both sides, inward into the course of the elevator buckets. The area of operation of the elevator is thereby greatly enlarged so that the need for moving it about, in order to work over its range of operation, will be considerably lessened and consequently the elevator may continue working for a long period without altering its adjustment. In addition, also. the buckets of the elevator are kept well supplied with coal to work upon so that they work to their maximum capacity throughout. and,

"again are relieved from the strain of diggin into the solid mass of coal.

T e invention consists in the provision on each side of the elevator, at its bottom end,

of a frame extending laterally from the elevator ladder for any desired distance and which frame carries a trough, open at its top, at its inner end opening onto the space in which the elevator buckets travel. In each trough a spindle is carried, such spindle being actually an extension of the ele vator tumbler spindle and rotating therewith. On the spindle, within the trough, a screw conveyor is fixed so as to rotate therewith. These two conveyors are formed re spectively right and left hand, so that the material falling into the open tops of the troughs will be carried inwards and delivered. through their inner ends, to the elevator bucket line. The conveyors thus provided may extend for any desired length from the elevator, according to the nature of the circumstances in which the apparatus is employed.

Mounted loosely on each spindle and driven by independent driving means (which may be operated from the driving means of the elevator), so as to rotate thereon, is a combined digging and lifting appliance designed in its rotation, to loosen the coal and to lift and then drop it into the trough. Such appliance may be formed in a number'ef ways, as for instance by a rotating frame having transverse bars parallel with the spindle, upon which bars lifting buckets and tines are fixed. The buckets and tines on each bar are preferably staggered in position with those on the bars next to it. These tines loosen the coal, while the buckets scoop it up and then drop it into the tropgh top as they reach the top of their travel. Or the lifter may be formed of a number of spiral scoops arranged upon a sleeve surrounding and rotating upon the trough, each of which scoops opens at its inner end through an opening in the sleeve so that the material scooped up by it in its rotation, will be carried round and then graviate through the opening into the trough top. In this case the loosening tines may be fixed to the periphery of the scoops. Again, the lifting appliance may be formed by a helically arranged blade extending round a rotating sleeve and having an opening following the base of the blade.

The invention will be illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1, is an elevation of an elevator.

Figure 2,-is a sectional elevation of the lateral trough and conveyor.

Figure 3, is a plan of the elevator partly in section.

Figure 4, is-a section of a lifting appliance having a helically arranged blade.

Figure 5, is a cross section of the device shewn in Figure 4.

Figure 6, is a sectional elevation of a lifting appliance having spiral scoops.

Figure 7, is a cross section of the device shewn in Figure 6. h

Referring to the drawings, the elevator ladder 1, provided with buckets 2 of the ordinary type, has provided upon each side of it a frame which consists of a bearing bracket 3 bolted to the side of the ladder and an end disc 4 supported by a truss bracket 5. The frame extends laterally and horizontally from the elevator ladder and carries a trough '6 which is open at its top. The trough 6 is supported by the end disc ,4 and by the bearing bracket 3 and communicates with thespace in which the elevator buckets travel by-an opening 13 in the bearing bracket 3. A spindle 7 is carried in the trough 6 and journalled respectively in a bearing 8 integral with the hearing bracket 3 and in a bearing 9 in the end disc 4. On the spindle 7 within the trough a screw conveyor 10 is fixed so as to rotate therewith. The spindle 7 is an extension of the elevator tumbler spindle and rotates therewith, being driven by means of the elevator chain 11 which passes over the sprock'et wheel 12 fixed on the spindle 7.

Thetwo conveyors are formed respectively right and left hand, so that the material falling into the open tops of the troughs 6 will be carried inwards and delivered through their inner ends to the elevator buckets 2. The conveyors thus provided may extend for any desired length from the elevator, according to the nature of the circumstances in which the apparatus is to be employed.

A combined digging and liftin appliance mounted to rotate in a vertical p ane around the trough consists of a frame, having annu lar bearing ends 14 and 15 connected together at intervals by transverse bars 16 parallel with the spindle 7 (as shewn in Figures 2 and 3). The ends 14 and 15 are mounted loosely on bearing surfaces of the bearing bracket 3 and end disc 4. Lifting buckets 17 and, radial loosening tines 18 are fixed to the bars 16, the buckets and tines on each bar being staggered in position with those on the bars next to it. The lifting appliance is driven by means independent from the means driving the screw 10. These means consist of a sprocket 19 integral with the end 14 and driven from a sprocket 20 upon a spindle 21 journalled in the ladder frame, upon which spindle 21 another sprocket wheel 22 is fixed driven by a sprocket chain from a sprocket 23 fixed upon helically arranged blade 26 extending around the sleeve 27 thereby forming acircular rotary trough rotatable upon the ends 28 and 29 corresponding to the bracket 3 and disc end 4 hereinbefore described, and driven by I means of a sprocket 3O fixed to the sleeve. The blade being in the form of a helix there is no great surface digging at one time. The material is picked up by the helical blade and passes along the blade and through the opening 31 in the rotary trough and is then carried by the screw 10 to the space wherein the elevator buckets are operated.

In Figures 6 and 7 is shewn another form of lifting appliance. This comprises a rotary trough 32 driven as before and contains a series of spiral scoops 33 arranged on and surrounding the trough and rotating therewith. Each of these spiral scoops 33 communicates at its inner end through an opening 34 in the sleeve so that the material scooped up by it in its rotation will be carried round and then gravitate through the opening into the trough tops. In this'case the loosening tines may be fixed to .the periphery of the scoops.

. 1. Means for the purposes herein described, consisting in the combination with an ordinary bucket elevator, of an open topped trough extending laterally and horizontally from the bottom end thereof and open at its inner end, a spindle extending longitudinally through such trough and axially continuous with and locked to the bottom tumbler spindle of the elevator, a screw conveyor fixed upon the spindle extending through the trough, and lifting buckets mounted to rotate in a vertical plane around the trough, adapted to lift the material and discharge it into the trough, substantially as specified.

2. Means for the purposes herein described, consisting in the combination with an ordinary bucket elevator, of a supporting frame projecting laterally from the side of the elevator ladder at its bottom end, an open topped trough secured within such frame so as to extend laterally and horizontally from the bottom end of the elevator and open at its inner end. an axial extension from the bottom tumbler spindle of the elevator passing along into the trough, a screw conveyor fixed on such extension, a rotating frame surrounding the trough and adapted to rotate thereonin avertical plane, specification in the presence of two submeans for rotating it, lifting scoops fixed scribing witneses. upon such frame and. adapted to lift the material and discharge it into the trough, PATRICK JOHN CAVANAGH' 5 and loosening tines fixed to radiate from Witnesses:

such frame, substantially as specified. W. ALEXANDER,

In testimony whereof, I have signed this Lmo 

